404 is operable for users to select shading areas. Capacitive touch technology is based on capacitive coupling and can be used to detect and measure anything that is conductive or has a dielectric different from air. Many types of sensors use capacitive sensing, including sensors to detect and measure proximity, pressure, position and displacement, force, humidity, fluid level, and acceleration.

A suitable force touch interface 406 may be based on transparent materials that can be integrated with glass. A non-limiting, illustrative example of a force touch technology is transparent piezo films that can be used to sense forces applied on surfaces. The transparent piezo films can be laminated onto glass surfaces using optical bonding technology. Another technology is integrating a type of force sensitive material with capacitive touch sensors.

A haptics interface 408 may be used to generate surface haptics and integrated with glass. Both surface haptics technology and traditional vibration haptics technology can be used. One technology is based on electrostatic fields to generate surface haptics. The technology involves an additional ITO (indium tin oxide) layer to be laminated on top of a glass surface to generate surface haptics when a finger is moving on the surface. Another technology is based on ultrasonic fields. The technology needs very thin and small ultrasonic actuators to be attached to the back of glass to generate surface haptics. Various types of ultrasonic field technologies support taps and clicks.

Control unit 410 may be implemented as electronic circuitry that is operable to detect and process control commands from a user. Force touch technology may provide signals that are used to determine a shading intensity. Haptics technology may be used to provide tactile feedback to the user. Capacitive touch technology may be used to trace finger movements. Control unit 410 may be connected to one or more vehicle glasses, such as windshields and side windows with transparency-changing material interfaces that can be controlled by the control unit 410.

FIG. 5 depicts a diagram 500 of an in-vehicle display implementation, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, a center stack display acts as a control unit for digital shading controls. This implementation integrate force touch, haptics, and/or capacitive touch interface technologies in a relatively small area. However, users who do not have access to the control display may not be able to use this function. There could be multiple control displays in a vehicle for users to control multiple vehicle windows (e.g., in a ride sharing vehicle).

FIG. 6 depicts a diagram 600 of an electrical architecture/interface for pillar implementation, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

As depicted in FIG. 6, a vehicle pillar 602 is integrated with a plurality of layers, comprising: a capacitive touch interface 604; a force touch interface 606; and a haptics interface 608. A control unit 610 may refer to electrical circuitry that comprises executable instructions for receiving and processing user inputs.

In various embodiments, digital shading control technology is integrated in a pillar 602 a vehicle, such as an A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar, and so on and so forth.

Force touch technology and haptics technology can be integrated into pillars to control glass shades. In at least one embodiment, the control pillar is integrated with the capacitive touch interface, a force touch interface, and a haptics interface. Similarly, both the traditional Force Touch technology and the new transparent Force Touch technologies can be used in this implementation since the control pillar does not have to be transparent.

As an illustrative, non-limiting example, an occupant of a vehicle such as the driver may wish to adjust the shading of the side-view mirrors for a variety of reasons, such as environmental conditions that may make greater or lesser levels of shading more conducive to driving. Continuing with the example, at least one embodiment of the present invention involves the occupant using shading controls integrated into the A-pillars of the vehicle to adjust the shading levels one or both side-view mirrors.

A capacitive touch interface 604 may be integrated with vehicle pillar 602 as depicted in FIG. 6. In various embodiments, the capacitive touch interface 604 is operable for users to select shading areas. Capacitive touch technology is based on capacitive coupling and can be used to detect and measure anything that is conductive or has a dielectric different from air. Many types of sensors use capacitive sensing, including sensors to detect and measure proximity, pressure, position and displacement, force, humidity, fluid level, and acceleration.

A suitable force touch interface 606 may be based on transparent materials that can be integrated with glass or pillars of a vehicle. Both traditional force touch technology and transparent force touch technologies can be used in this implementation. A non-limiting, illustrative example of a force touch technology is transparent piezo films that can be used to sense forces applied on surfaces. The transparent piezo films can be laminated onto glass surfaces using optical bonding technology. Another technology is integrating a type of force sensitive material with capacitive touch sensors. In various embodiments, such as those in which the shading control system is integrated into a pillar, both traditional force touch technology and transparent force touch technologies can be used in this implementation since the control display does not have to be transparent in such cases.

A haptics interface 608 may be used to generate surface haptics and integrated with glass. Both surface haptics technology and traditional vibration haptics technology can be used. One technology is based on electrostatic fields to generate surface haptics. The technology involves an additional ITO (indium tin oxide) layer to be laminated on top of a glass surface to generate surface haptics when a finger is moving on the surface. Another technology is based on ultrasonic fields. The technology needs very thin and small ultrasonic actuators to be attached to the back of glass to generate surface haptics. Various types of ultrasonic field technologies support taps and clicks.

Control unit 610 may be implemented as electronic circuitry that is operable to detect and process control commands from a user. Force touch technology may provide signals that are used to determine a shading intensity. Haptics technology may be used to provide tactile feedback to the user. Capacitive touch technology may be used to trace finger movements. Control unit 610 may be connected to one or more vehicle glasses, such as windshields and side windows with transparency-changing material interfaces that can be controlled by the control unit 610.

FIG. 7 depicts a diagram 700 in which zone-based shading controls are integrated with a pillar, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

A control pillar can be used as a single area for shade control to control a windshield or window. For example, touching on any area or a specific area of the pillar can achieve pre-selection and pushing on the surface can change shade intensity. However, to achieve area control, a pillar may be divided into columns and rows, corresponding to areas in a windshield or vehicle window. By selecting one or more columns/rows, the system can control corresponding area(s) in a windshield or vehicle window. Various scenarios are depicted in